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Australians are proud of their wildlife, which is not only the oddest in the world, but also the most dangerous. That’s not to say that it’s a dangerous country, because most animals do not go out of their way to attack people. You just don’t want to take any chances by provoking the native species.
Jellyfish
There are many species of box jellyfish native to Australia, the Philippines, and other tropical areas. Some are not dangerous to humans, but one species, Chironex fleckeri, is the world’s most venomous animal. The sting from this particular species can cause death in minutes! If stung by a box jellyfish, apply vinegar before removing the tentacles, or it will inject more venom. That’s why Australians take vinegar along when swimming at some beaches during jellyfish season.
Bird
The Guiness Book of World Records lists the cassowary as the world’s most dangerous bird. They live in the tropical areas of New Guinea and northern Australia, where it is an endangered species. Cassowaries are bad tempered birds that can grow to 6 feet tall. They are strong and swift and attack with razor-sharp claws. Although the last cassowary-related death was in 1926, many people have been badly injured by these birds. Image by Paul IJsendoorn.
Shellfish
Barrier Reef cone shells include 80 species found in Australia. They are pretty shellfish with sharp teeth that can penetrate clothing. Their venom is a neurotoxin that can kill a human, and there is no antivenin. Medical facilities can help a victim breathe until the toxin is cleared from the body.
Octopus
The world’s most venomous octopus is, of course, found in the waters off Australia (as well as Asian seas, as far north as Japan). The blue-ringed octopus is yellow with black and bright blue rings on its surface. It’s a tiny creature, about the size of a golf ball, but contains a neurotoxin powerful enough to kill humans. There is no antidote, but victims who reach medical help often recover if breathing is assisted until the venom dissipates. Image by Jens Petersen.
Snake
The inland taipan, also known as the fierce snake, is the most venomous snake in the world. It is found in the dry regions of central Australia. The taipan’s venom is toxic enough to kill 100 humans with the dose found in a single bite. This snake lives on mice and small rodents and is not aggressive towards humans. People have been bitten when a taipan feels threatened. No human deaths have been recorded from the taipan’s bite, thanks to treatment with taipan antivenin produced by the Australian Reptile Park. Australia is home to many other species of highly venomous snakes. Image by AllenMcC.
Spider
There are many different kinds of spiders in Australia. The Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus) has a reputation for its nasty venom. These spiders act aggressively when approached. The male spider’s venom is five times as toxic as the female’s. A bite will lead to muscle spasms, shock, and brain damage, but is easily treated with antivenin. The redback spider is another Australian spider to watch out for. It resembles (and is related to) the black widow spider.
Crocodile
Since the dinosaurs are gone, the saltwater crocodile is the world’s largest reptile. The average croc is about 15 feet long, but they can grow to over 20 feet! Australians call them “salties”. Death by crocodile is rare; there are only a couple of fatalities every year in Australia. That’s more than enough.
Fish
Scorpion fish that live near the Australian coasts are the world’s most poisonous fish. They have glands containing neurotoxins at the base of their fins, which they use only in defense. Scorpion fish are found in tropical waters all over the world, but are most concentrated in Australia. They are small and approachable, but if you step on one, you’ll need to seek immediate medical treatment. They are also edible, and considered to be a delicacy. Image by CW Ye.
Bear
The drop bear (Phascolarctos carnivorous) is a truly scary animal. A marsupial native to Australia, it is a vicious carnivore that attacks its prey by hiding high in a tree and dropping onto unsuspecting bystanders. Photos of a drop bear show a startling resemblance to a koala, which is how the sneaky beasts fool you into standing under their trees. See the drop bear in action in this video. The most important thing to remember about drop bears is that they only bite tourists.
Comments (24)
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ROFL @ the Drop Bear video!
Good ending to an article that makes me fear for my life if I were to even visit Australia :]
posted by Korin on 11-6-2008 at 8:12 am
Thank you for including the dreaded Drop Bear. It is the only thing that wiped away the heebie-jeebies of the rest of the article. Not sure I needed that at 8:30 am! Yikes!
posted by Karen on 11-6-2008 at 8:37 am
wow, i really thought the drop bear was serious for a second! haha!
posted by kevin on 11-6-2008 at 10:15 am
You forgot about stingrays, one of which killed ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin.
posted by airship on 11-6-2008 at 11:07 am
I didn’t forget stingrays, but I didn not include them because they are found all over the work. Sharks, too.
posted by Miss Cellania on 11-6-2008 at 11:13 am
My mom found a blue ring octopus while diving off North Silowesi (don’t know if I spelled that right–it’s near Indonesia) they’re incredibly tiny–no bigger than a thumb–but so cool. You’d have to go really far out of your way to get bitten by one.
The Drop Bear is friggen hilarious! Great pre-lunch post!
posted by JenPo on 11-6-2008 at 11:52 am
You forgot about Phil. Only one reading of Phil’s Phun can give one a serious case of the “groans”. Although no deaths have been reported, serious groaning can be heard all over Australia. The only known antidote is a tea brewed from the fur of a drop bear So, if you mistakenly wander into Phil’s blog simply go out & stand under a tree until a drop bear attacks. Good luck!
posted by DUKE on 11-6-2008 at 11:54 am
That and the only reason Steve Irwin died was because it pierced him in the heart – anywhere else and he could have easily survived.
posted by Leah on 11-6-2008 at 12:04 pm
Great article!!! i´m sending this to my fiance as we´re thinking of going to Australia for our honeymoon…
- sexy lingerie… check
- bikinis… check
- suntan lotion… check
- vinager… check
- portable oxygen machines… I wonder if those will go through Customs??
posted by GTT on 11-6-2008 at 12:45 pm
Odd- they don’t mention these in the “Where the Bloody Hell Are You” advertisements.
posted by Scott-O on 11-6-2008 at 1:34 pm
My family and I went to Australia on vacation about 10 years ago. We went to this place called Wild World where they had koalas, kangaroos, toads, bats and other animals just roaming around free for you to interact with.
There was a bat hanging from a tree so my mom told me to go stand by it to take a pictures, while I was posing the bat latched onto my french braids and wouldn’t let go. We had to call the park ranger and such to get it out…ah memories
good thing I’m not really creeped out by bats and such or I would have pissed myself.
posted by Laura on 11-6-2008 at 2:23 pm
You forgot Hoop Snakes! The dreaded snake that puts its tail in its mouth to form a hoop which then enables it to roll down hills quicker than unsuspecting tourists can flee.
posted by Emma on 11-6-2008 at 6:18 pm
does anybody else have a hard time looking at pictures of spiders? i scrolled past that reaaaalllll fast. creepy!
posted by weeble warble on 11-6-2008 at 7:03 pm
The claim of “deadliest” snake is very subjective. While the taipan’s venom is powerful enough to kill 100 men, the krait is known as the “two-step” because that’s how far you’ll get if you’re bitten.
And you left out the Tasmanian Devil! The real one isn’t deadly, but it is nasty.
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 11-6-2008 at 7:17 pm
jelly fish may be poisonous but they’re also pretty tasty. mmmm
doesn’t peeingon the stinger also de-venom it if you are so unlucky as to have forgotten your vinegar?
of course, nothign says fun day at the beach like being peed on by people, but then again you ARE right next to water and can go wash it off. yuck.
posted by Sue on 11-6-2008 at 7:22 pm
nice article. you should all come visit australia though i’m pretty sure i’ve heard of crocs referred to as ’salties’.
i’ve heard that peeing on a sting doesn’t really do anything. you probably need the vinegar… however, i’ve never heard of people bringing vinegar to the beach either.
i’m probably doing my fellow aussies a disservice by not knowing anything about this stuff. haha
posted by liz on 11-6-2008 at 8:07 pm
Liz, I’ve heard of crocs being called salties but not particularly often. And here in WA I have never seen anyone take vinegar with them to the beach, unless it was to spruce up their fish n chips.
I have seen a drop bear though. It was hangin with a bunyip.
posted by MissMortimer on 11-7-2008 at 2:04 am
Oh the irony! A blonde woman from Kentucky posting about Australian wildlife…
And liz – if you ever come to Queensland, you’ll find that most of the beaches have emergency bottles of vinegar on them. And all surf living patrols carry it during the stinger season.
posted by Anne Aussie on 11-7-2008 at 2:40 am
The pedipalps (appendage behind the head – I had to look this up) on that spider are so long I thought it had 10 legs. And a 10-legged spider is 20% more scary than an 8-legged spider.
posted by Diana on 11-7-2008 at 11:49 am
@ ANNE AUSSIE: any tips for a nice, romantic (not extremely expensive) hotels near Cairns??
posted by GTT on 11-7-2008 at 3:47 pm
Those drop bears’ll get ya!
I live in Australia with all these dangerous animals and I am still afraid of cockroaches?
posted by Megan on 11-11-2008 at 10:07 pm
i love this wedsite it helped me with my eassy
posted by ireti on 11-24-2008 at 6:52 am
I live in Queensland, even lived in North Queensland for a 7 years. While I never took vinegar to the beach with me – it was supplied by the council/life savers. You will usually find a bottle in a specially marked cyclinder on the beach for anyone to use.
All it does is neutralise the stingers that may still be on your body, so you don’t get re-stung – it DOESN’T stop the toxin that has already entered your body – so you need to get medical help straight away.
And yes I have been stung by stingers at least 4 times (not any of the deadly ones obviously).
Realistically wearing a stinger suit or NOT swimming during stinger season (between November and May) is the only thing to keep you safe and neither are foolproof.
posted by Mhor on 10-18-2009 at 1:22 am
The 10 Most Dangerous Animals On The Planet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np7uU42reus
posted by sam on 12-6-2009 at 3:25 pm